While alcohol-related traffic fatalities have decreased in West Virginia, drug-impaired driving fatalities are on the rise. West Virginia Governor’s Highway Safety Program Director Bob Tipton explains the challenges to curbing drugged driving.

In preparation for April 20 – known to many drug users as a national "holiday" for marijuana use – state and law enforcement agencies warned drivers not to get behind the wheel high. This article cites GHSA's 2017 report on drugged driving.

Training law enforcement officers to recognize and stop drug-impaired drivers is a vital part of combating drugged driving. GHSA Director of Government Relations Russ Martin speaks to the scope of the DUID issue and the importance of Drug Recognition Experts (DREs).

Before receiving the grant, West Virginia had 33 trained Drug Recognition Experts (DREs) providing services to the state's 55 counties. In order to fill gaps in staffing, West Virginia sought to use this funding to add an additional DRE training class in 2017.